A simple Hello

So I had a nice revelation while riding the elevator in my building the other day.

The owners had recently started some maintenance on one of the two elevator cars, which I wasn’t too happy about. Even with both cars running, in an 18-story building, the wait time can be a little long. But I figured, maybe I’d get the chance to meet some of my neighbors.

While I am quite happy with my apartment and the amenities the building offers, my neighbors have left a bit to be desired. For the most part, folks seem to like to keep to themselves and are almost off-put by anything more than a head-nod or “Have a good day.” Damn that ‘Seattle nICE.’

That is, except for the cleaning lady.

She’s an older, petite, Asian woman, whom I see every morning on my way out the door. Her kind smile and friendly “Good morning,” make my commute a little more bearable.

It’s funny to see the little things that people pick-up on.

I never realized that I apparently respond to the cleaning lady’s morning greeting with a “Good morning to you, too.”

Until recently.

As I was taking the elevator downstairs, the cleaning lady got on a couple floors below mine. She usually waits for an empty elevator for her and her cart of cleaning supplies, but with one car running, she decided to hop-on. As she did, I said my usual “Hello.” And her response stopped me dead in my tracks.

“You are a good man.”

I was a bit puzzled and touched.

She went on to explain, “You are a good man, you always say hello to me. Thank you.”

Funny how that works. Two people, doing what they normally do, who see each other for mere seconds a day, are so affected by a seemingly innocuous interaction.

It was a light-bulb moment that illustrated the importance of paying attention to your actions.

You never know who’s paying attention or what the ramifications of your actions could be. Ask any parent and they’ll tell you that it’s amazing what kids pick-up on. I’d venture to say that idea permeates the ‘grown-up world’ as well.

It really doesn’t take much to smile and say “Hello,” to that person you pass everyday on your way into the office or to simply be kind to folks who cross your path.

Much as the cleaning lady’s simple “Hello,” makes my mornings, you could be doing something that makes a stranger’s day. I am pretty sure most of us have a stranger that we deal with daily who brings a smile to our face(s). Be sure to appreciate that little something as well.

By acknowledging both the actions of others and making an effort to extend a kind demeanor…I think you’ll find the big, scary world to be a much kinder and gentler place.

If this sounds a bit like the ‘pay it forward’ movement, it pretty much is.

So the next time you see that stranger, simply say “Thank you.”

It’s a small gesture of gratitude that just may end-up making someone’s day.

Edu-tax-cation

So I came home last week to a piece of mail that surprised me.

No, it wasn’t a delayed-delivery Christmas card with a crisp C-note in it…Darn it.

Instead, it was a ballot.

I had no idea there was a special election taking place and opened the ballot to see what pointless recount/initiative was causing all of the hullabaloo.

Color me embarrassed, but I soon realized the special election was about something I value greatly, education. The election was simple, the Seattle School District offered-up two levies for approval.

On the face, these levies appeared to be the Seattle School District foisting even more taxes upon the over-burdened citizens of Seattle. *I should say, the Seattle School District foisting even more taxes upon the over-burdened Property-Owning citizens of Seattle.

I note that last distinction because I’ve previously been a property owner and now understand what property taxes are. They can be a rather foreign concept to a renter, and my previous stance was to approve any property tax increases as it didn’t affect me…I also think kids deserve books and enjoy paved streets/public transit. So why not approve everything and let someone else foot the bill?

But I digress, as I delved into the nuts and bolts of the levies being proposed, I noted they were not proposing any new taxes, but simply requesting to maintain existing, but expiring levies.

Now that I am back to renting, I am on-board with approving property tax hikes, as long as they make sense. So I am not going to tell you how I voted, but I think you can figure it out. *I will note that even when I was a property owner, I stayed pretty true to my blue-state leanings and usually sided with tax increases, as long as I thought they served a greater good. By the way, Education = a greater good in my book.

There is no such thing as a free lunch. I hate the saying, as it’s pretty cliché, but it’s so damn true. As I hear of cuts to what I consider vital social programs: education, mental health, social services, all in the name of a balanced budget that is anything but, I get a lil fired-up. It is akin to cutting off the nose despite the face.

These programs (education especially) are in no less demand than this time last year, 4, or even 10 years ago. So why are they on the chopping block?

Simple answer- Politics.

Letting a levy expire is a backdoor way of lowering education spending without having to take the PR-hit that goes along with actually cutting education spending.

I’ll grant that every levy is a term-limited proposition. As such, everyone knows the levy will expire at some point. But I see levies as band-aids, not solutions. A levy is a short-term fix as a (hopefully) better long-term solution is researched and implemented.

That obviously hasn’t happened here. And the economy has worsened, so offsets to budget shortfalls by donations from the private sector have disappeared. Which only increases the need to, at a minimum, maintain current spending on education.

Not that any of this matters to me anyway.

I am a single fella with no kids who rents his house. So the tax hike won’t burden me, much the same way letting the levy expire won’t benefit me.

Yet here I am ranting away, Why?

Because a poorly educated populace does no one any favors. Isn’t giving kids a decent education worth a couple hundred bucks a year?

Poor education is not a blue or red issue. It’s a societal issue. Everyone is entitled to the right of being able to “read, write and arithmetic” regardless of political leanings. Kids are not a political token and education is not a place to cut corners, Period.

Maybe forcing senators and other such elected officials to take some of the unpaid furlough days they’ve forced on other lower-level public servants will drive the point home…

CoffeerightInfringment

After reading a few of my posts, it may surprise folks to learn that for the most part, I am a fella who avoids confrontation (in the real world) like the plague.

But recently, I went counter to my natural inclinations and sought-out some controversy.

I found myself headed to a coffee shop that had become quite a central figure in a good old-fashioned dust-up here in our burgeoning ‘burg.

I headed to the epicenter of gentrified hipsterdom in Seattle, 15^th Ave on Capitol Hill. Now don’t get me wrong, it’s a fun strip – such staples of (high-priced) Seattle-only greatness like Café Victrola and The Coastal Kitchen anchor this mostly chain/franchise-free neighborhood.

Decent food, good beer, high prices and snooty attitudes are all served here as the clientele is all-to-happy to pay the price to be seen.

If you sense a wee lil bit of distain, good. You should.

But back to the controversy. I headed to the area to visit a coffee shop- 15^th Ave Coffee & Tea. The faux independent coffee shop was nice enough, offering 15 kinds of whole bean coffee, numerous kinds of loose leaf tea and they even served beer!

So, you may ask- What’s the big-deal about this coffee shop? And what the hell do you mean by Faux independent?

Well this coffee shop wasn’t what it appeared to be. It was actually owned by none other than Starbuck’s. Yes, that Starbuck’s.

Per the Starbuck’s brass, this was Starbuck’s attempt to ‘blend into the neighborhood’ as opposed to simply running the local independent coffee guys out of town.

The fact that this shop was a Starbuck’s-in-disguise is what has the neighbors all riled-up.

Which brings me to my point: Since when did Seattle become populated by such exclusive unoriginal lameasses?

I headed to the coffee shop looking for a fight. This hipster idea of independent-or-die, just seems dumb to me.

*Disclosure: I am one of the seemingly few native Seattleites who unapologetically enjoys Starbuck’s. I’ve never been able to wrap my head around the idea of hating the big company simply because they are successful.

The Seattle I grew-up in while a bit stand-offish, was mostly all-inclusive. Especially when compared to the separation (by race, economic class) that I had seen in cities back East- NYC, St. Louis & Chicago.

At some point, Starbuck’s was a Café Vivace or a Stumptown. It still blows my mind to see the lil independent guy so revered, yet the local company who made good, so reviled.

Granted, this most recent attempt to ‘fit-in’ by Starbuck’s could have been handled with a bit more tact. Starbuck’s, a long-time staunch defender of corporate trademarks, pretty much ripped-off the design/décor of 15^th Ave Coffee & Tea from Smith, the bar next door. So creating a carbon-copy of the neighbor, all the way down to asking where Smith bought their awnings, was a pretty hypocritical move by a company known for suing TM-infringers.

All that being said, Starbuck’s as usual, did a fine job.

I used to be a coffee elitist, simply because everyone else was. In Bellingham, it was Tony’s Coffee, in Seattle it was Vivace and in Portland it’s Stumptown (though from what I hear, even the beloved Stumptown is beginning to get too big to be liked anymore). But after going to independent coffee house after independent coffee house, I realized something- The coffee at all of these joints was consistently horrible.

I began to ask myself: Why pay for an inferior product?

In my ‘independent coffee shop days’ was used to giving the glare as the soulless drones paid their toll to the Starbuck’s Siren.

Where it got a lil odd, was when I became one of the drones.

Trust me, I’ve noticed the glares, even got some nasty posts on my Facebook page when I noted that I was at Starbuck’s. The glares were even worse as I visited 15^th Ave Coffee & Tea on Capitol Hill. I purposefully sat outside on the street to see what kind of reception I’d receive. And the blind corporation-hating hipsters didn’t let me down. I got a lot of glares, a couple head-shakes and a few sighs…Just as I’d expected.

I wasn’t making any political statements. I just wanted a decent cup of coffee. I guess that’s the lesson to be learned-

Turns-out it wasn’t just the coffee that was bitter…and a bit of the Seattle I used to know and love seems to have disappeared just as the coffee in my cup had.

I like trains...

As I sit here on my couch watching ‘doomsday central’ aka The History Channel lament the eminent downfall of humanity due to societies’ overreliance on fossil fuel, I was reminded of a ray of hope.

Link Light Rail is opening here in Seattle this weekend!

Being a long-time proponent but only recent user of mass transit, I am excited to see Seattle move in the right direction.

Do I think this initial 13.9 mile stretch of light rail is going to be the cure-all for the region’s traffic woes?

Nope.

But they say the first step is always the hardest one. And Seattle has finally taken the first-step towards a real mass transit solution.

As you can see in the hyperlink above, Light Rail’s tentacles are already beginning to sprout.

And I find the growth or should I say potential growth as exciting as the start of service this weekend.

This initial line is a backbone off of which many lines will grow. The fact that expansion has begun even before the first passenger has boarded a train only proves that theory.

Now that we have a fleet of trains and a base of operations, growing the service is much easier.

I was a fan of the monorail. I even voted for and paid taxes for it. Mostly because I liked the planned service routes. The monorail plan proposed an X-pattern, spreading from Ballard and the U-District on the Northside to West Seattle and Rainier Beach on the Southend, with all lines running through downtown.

I see the same idea coming together with Light Rail, the foundation has been laid with a downtown HUB and a (future) line from the U-District that extends to the Airport.

The prospect of being able to take a train from Ballard to Kent doesn’t seem at-all far-fetched when you see what is already under way.

And this is all West-of-the-lake-centric.

Just think of the possibilities when you add a Seattle-Redmond Line via Bellevue.

I already bus it to the Eastside and have loved the nearly traffic-free ninja-route that buses are allowed to take during the I-90 construction as the solo-commuting masses sweat-it-out.

But my bus, the 550, seems rather underutilized outside of peak traffic hours so rushing to get an east-west line doesn’t seem necessary, yet. Though it would be nice to see some proactive as opposed to reactive planning for once.

So needless to say, I plan on hopping-on the train this weekend like many other folks.

I just hope they plan on coming back, like me.

I'll be right back.

Funny how going-out for a gallon of milk can change your perceptions.

I have lived in the Central District neighborhood of Seattle for over two years now. And for most of the time that I have lived there I have felt perfectly safe.

That changed recently.

As I headed-out to Safeway to grab some groceries, I thought nothing of it. I rolled north on 23^rd Ave S, past landmarks like Garfield High School and Ezell’s Fried Chicken. After two years, I tend to pay such landmarks no mind.

It was on my way back home that I took note…

On my way back to my condo, I saw a cop roll-up behind me, lights-ablaze. Not an uncommon occurrence on 23^rd, so I paid it no mind. Though as I approached 23^rd & Cherry I saw a fire truck, ambulance and yellow police tape running the length of the thoroughfare. Now this…was an uncommon occurrence.

I ducked onto a back road and made my way home.

Little did I know, that what had just taken place at this intersection would profoundly change how I perceived the place I have called home for the past few years.

I hopped online to get the down-low on what had happened and found-out that two people were dead, victims of a drive-by shooting.

Normally such news would roll off my back. But the folks were alive as I rolled-by on my way to the store. And now, 30 minutes later, they weren’t.

That realization blew my mind.

I grew-up in South Seattle, a place with an undeservedly bad reputation. I was a fat, white, nerd who managed to get-by just fine. So when I hear that Seattle is ‘Ghetto,’ I beg to differ.

I’ve been to Chicago. I’ve been to LA. I’ve been to NY/Brooklyn…

Those are ghettos.

Seattle, by comparison, is a joke.

I live in the CD, grew-up in the South End and kick-it in South Park/White Center/Burien. All of which pale in comparison to the destitution of a real ghetto.

Which is why seeing such violence outrages me.

The CD, short for Central District for those not in-the-know, has seen quite an upswing in the past few years. Some call it gentrification, I call it not fearing being jacked as you walk to your car. (Which is not to say that jackings/break-ins don’t occur anymore.)

Some folks see gentrification as a horrible thing, but I venture to say that most decent folks (regardless of race) like to see a community that takes pride in itself.

Sadly, I have seen signs of a backslide in the CD lately. Drug dealers have been openly operating on busy street corners. I am also seeing more and more kids rocking red clothing…when I was a youngster, the CD was Crip territory. Oh, how times have changed.

Every time I see signs of the ‘Hood, I find myself asking the same question, Why?

Again, Seattle is not ghetto. And it really pisses me off that a couple knuckleheads, who have visions of 50-Cent dancing in their heads, can undo 10 years of redevelopment.

It’s not just white-folk who enjoy walking the streets without fear.

And now, with one action, one knucklehead, has undone all of that.

They say ‘One bad apple ruins the bushel.’ I say ‘A fuckin’ loser hoses a neighborhood.’

I was raised in a less-than-stellar area and have always minded my surroundings…being a cracka in the ‘hood, you learn to read the angles.

But I never felt I HAD to so in the CD, until now.

So while I normally don’t condone violence. I’d like to find the reject who lacked the testicular fortitude to face a foe straight-up and beat the living shit out of them.

Though knowing the ‘code of the street’ (as laid-out in various gangsta movies where I am sure this gutless shooter picked-up their code of ethics) I know retaliation would be necessary. So that is just a dumb road to venture down.

Instead, I’ll just say, remember the CD before Sunday afternoon. It’s still the same people. It’s still safe.

Don’t let the ball-less minority rule the good and decent majority.

Take control of your neighborhood.

We’ve done it before and we can sure as hell do it again.

More baby steps...

This baby-steps entry is gonna be short.

As there is nothing new that I am doing.

I am just making you Seattle residents aware of the changes that took place in the city’s recycling program.

Here is a link to the city recycling website.

The city is making it a bit easier to recycle more.

Just a couple highlights:
- No more separating glass from other recyclables! *This was especially a pain for a fella like me who enjoys a bottle of beer or 5, every now and again.
- The list of what is now acceptable as recyclable has gotten bigger, which is always a good thing.

Here's the link again for a breakdown of particulars.

And remember, every little bit helps.

A farewell to an institution…

Today is a red-letter day in Seattle. It is the first day in 146 years that you cannot get a hard copy of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

 

I, as a blogger, feel a part of the paradigm shift that has caused the downfall of a Seattle institution.

 

The 146-year bastion of journalism succumbed to the pressures of the twittering-blogging-facebooking-I-need-info-now-regardless-of-the-source that is the modern American public.

 

I was raised on the P-I and I love(d) the paper. My dad maintained a subscription for as long as I can remember. One of my favorite past-times was settling-in with the Sunday paper, a cup of coffee in-hand and catching-up on the goings-on around town and in the world.

 

My love of the P-I sparked more than a few arguments as I attended Western Washington University and obtained a degree in Journalism. The Joe Friday, ‘Just the facts ma’am’ style of writing that you are reading right now was heavily influenced by the reporting in the P-I.

 

I’ve always described the difference between the P-I and the Seattle Times as this:

-If you want to hear the: who, what where, when and why (aka the 5 W’s) read the P-I.

-If you want to read some lame-ass human interest story about the event 3 days after the fact, read the Times.

 

I steadfastly believe that description of Seattle’s two dailies. In fact, I am utterly disgusted that the ‘Times’ is the journalistic representative of Seattle to the world.

 

In my mind, it’s like MTV News beating-out CNN.

 

Overall, I am happy that Seattle still has at least one daily newspaper.

 

I do think that a vigorous, non-blog-based, professional local journalistic presence is vital to a community.

 

I fear what will come from a world unregulated by editors or journalistic safeguards.

 

Print journalism (for the most part) kept everyone (including the reporters) honest.

 

Speed, as with cars, is impressive, but rarely safe.

 

The old adage of ‘Haste makes waste’ rings horribly true here.

 

Journalism, not just print, is being replaced by quick fixes and entertainment.

 

It’s too late for the P-I, but I hope we all learn from its demise. There is a value to waiting until 6 AM for your news.

 

It’s important to note that it is not a reporter’s job to filter the news, it is the job of journalists to make sure what you are reading is as correct as it can be.

 

The P-I did that well for over 140 years, and I truly and honestly appreciate it.

Light at the end of the tunnel

Everyone knows it’s been a rough couple of years for Seattle sports fans.

But, dare I say, it looks like there is a light at the end of the tunnel. 

The University of Washington Men’s Basketball team’s outright win of the Pac-10 regular season crown capped what could possibly be one of the best sports months for Seattle in years.

The Huskies haven’t won the Pac-10 outright since 1953, so it was quite the feat. Now I am not picking UW as a ‘Sweet 16’ team, but the team showed a lot of pluck coming back from a less-than-stellar start of the season to claim the title. And more importantly the accomplishment gives Seattleites something to be proud of.

The Huskies title came hot on the heels of the Seahawks finalizing a free agent coup, the signing T.J. Houshmandzadeh. ‘Housh’ as I’ll refer to him since I cannot spell his name, was the NFL’s premier free agent wide receiver, a position the Hawks were in desperate need of an upgrading from last season. And the Hawks stepped-up and got their man. With the addition of Housh, the Hawks return to their rightful spot among the frontrunners to win the NFC West. Ah, it feels good to say that. Especially, after slogging through a 4-12 ‘swan song’ season for former head coach Mike Holmgren who really deserved a better send-off. 

And yes, I am going to list Ken Griffey, Jr.’s return as a plus for the Seattle sports psyche. I know, I know…I previously posted on this very blog, that I am less-than-stoked by the prospect of Griff’s return. But this is not about me…It is about Seattle as a whole. And from that perspective, I do think Griffey’s return is good thing. It is a ray of hope for Mariners fans with little else to look forward to in the coming season. It is good to see some sentiment infused into the big business of professional sports. Griff may not be a 50 HR, 100+ RBI, gold glove winner anymore. But he made the M’s what they are today and helped weave the team into the fabric of Seattle. For that, he does deserve a return-trip to Seattle and a chance for a ‘swan song’ of this own.

Though the 206 is still without a professional basketball team, the city does get to usher-in the world’s game this month. Major League Soccer has come to town as the Seattle Sounders FC. From what I’ve heard all tickets are sold out, just showing that even in these tough times, Seattleites are hungry for good sporting events. Personally, I prefer to play soccer over watching it, but I am gonna try to score a pair of tickets to see what it’s all about.

So bring-on spring!

March madness actually means something to Seattleites again. There is a reason to watch the Mariners and with the NFL draft coming soon, the Seahawks could end-up as more than just a contender for the NFC West title, they could be mentioned along with the words: Super & bowl, as they should be.

Enjoy!

The seven stages of grief as they pertain to Ken Griffey, Jr.

The Kid is back. Yet somehow I am not doing cartwheels...

To add a lil insight into my perspective on this topic, I compare Griffey leaving the Mariners to being dumped. Griffey decided that Seattle was no longer good enough for him and/or he could find better options elsewhere. So he left.

That stung.

So I am writing this from the perspective of a jilted fan...a jilted fan who, for the most part, has no interest in dealing with parties who deem him unworthy. (Ask anyone who's dumped/slighted me...I don't talk to or acknowledge them. I am an ass like that.)

With that said, it may be easier to understand why I am less-than-stoked to welcome Griffey back with open arms. Why stroke the ego of someone who's already said and acted in ways that say 'Seattle, you aren't good enough'?

1. Shock- I can still remember when I heard that a recliner-in-the-clubhouse Griffey decided he was too good for the M's. The reasoning at the time was that he wanted to return home. To re-visit the team of his father. (Never mind the fact that the M's had signed his then over-the-hill father to a contract earlier in Junior's career.) Griffey wanted return to the clubhouse he literally grew-up in. He wanted to return to his roots. I couldn't believe it. How could he?! How could he leave the team that was so symbiotic with him. As much as Junior had built the M's into a legit contender, the M's had given him his break. I couldn't fathom how someone could turn their back on those who made them. It was a bitter lesson, but one I am glad I learned early.

2. Pain & guilt- I am not too proud to admit it. I loved Ken Griffey, Jr. He was, in his prime, the best baseball player I have ever seen play the game live. The thought of Junior no longer patrolling center field simply hurt. How can you replace him? Mike Cameron (while a serviceable ballplayer) is no Ken Griffey, Jr. Why couldn't we have accommodated his requests? He is the reason Safeco was built...how could we not give him what he wanted? Maybe it is our fault, we should've done more to keep him.

3. Anger & bargaining- (mostly anger) Ok, if we re-sign (purportedly pre-roids) A-Rod and keep Buhner in right, will that keep you happy, Junior? You ego-centric bastard, who do you think you are?! We made you! Remember when you were 19 and loved playing 'for the fun of the game'? You two-faced Son-of-a-bitch!

4. Depression- Cincinnati? Really?! Have you been there? Oh crap, you grew-up there. Now you are gone. And we no longer have A-Rod or Randy Johnson. What's wrong with us? Do we smell? Hello...?

5. The upward turn- We've still got Ichiro...the ageless wonder! Maybe a return to the house that Junior built will provide fuel for a Griffey renaissance. Maybe a return to All-star form. If nothing else, Griffey's return will sell tickets. (I know I will attend a game simply because Junior is back.)

6. Reconstruction & working through- Jeremy Reed, hurt. Yuniesky Betancourt, error-prone. Adam Jones & George Sherrill…to Baltimore for an over-rated POS. God Damn you Bill Bavasi. Speaking of reconstruction...how're those injuries Grif? Wait, what's that? You are coming back to Seattle?! Seriously?!!! Flippin' sweet! Welcome home! Oh wait...you are also looking at Atlanta, so that you can do what? Watch little league games? Uh, well family does come first. But what about those folks who made you a household name? Those folks who still followed your career even as it spiraled-down the toilet into 'over-rated'-ville? What did we ever do to you?! (OK, I am pretty much stuck at stage 3, but screw it.)

7. Acceptance & hope- So here we are. Stuck with a washed-up version of Griffey's former self. For what it's worth, I'd much rather have a washed-up Griffey don an M’s cap over Garrett Anderson. Maybe Griffey can teach the other youngsters in the clubhouse how-to appreciate what they have while they have it. Hopefully his return to the M's will re-light a sputtering fire and we'll get one last glimpse of greatness.

A tough Good-Bye.

It’s now been (sigh) over 10 years since I last roamed the halls of my high school. But recent news has brought my alma mater to the forefront of many discussions here in Seattle.

I was born and raised in Rainier Beach. I graduated from Rainer Beach High School in 1997. As such, I have a special affection for the school. High school was the first time I was allowed to go to a Seattle school. I attended elementary and middle schools in a nearby district as my parents thought they were better options. Yet, come high school, I was allowed to go to RB, which was sweet as I finally got to go to school with all my friends from the neighborhood.

After four years, I graduated with a decent GPA, having lettered in a couple sports and being about as extracurricularly active as one can ask for. I participated in Student Government and even got to meet John Stanford, still one of the most impressive men I’ve ever had the chance to shake hands with.

I loved/love RB. Which is why the next sentence is one of the hardest ones I’ve ever tapped-out on a keyboard.

It’s time for RB to go.

During my time at RB there was somewhere in the neighborhood of 700-800 registered students. If 75% of those kids showed-up regularly, I’d be shocked. And now, per the Seattle Times, RB enrollment in 2007 had dropped to 455.

Even back when I was a student there was talk of combining Cleveland High and RB. We actually had a joint-wrestling team as neither school was big enough to field a full team on their own.

It simply makes no sense to keep RB open.

Being a lifetime resident of Rainier Beach, I understand what the school means to the community. But what is a poorly functioning school really doing for the community? I remember my math teacher having to work-out a trade (maybe just steal) text books for my Pre-Calculus (one of the few AP-level) class. How is it fair to ask students/teachers to show-up to school with a broken-down crutch, when other schools in the district have powered wheelchairs?

I now live in the Central District, just blocks from the newly renovated Garfield High School. And the place looks amazing! My younger brother works for the Seattle School District and played quite a role in rolling-out the high-tech remodel of Roosevelt High School in North Seattle. So I got an insider’s tour of the wi-fi hot-spots and interactive touch-screen whiteboards introduced at Roosevelt. The Roosevelt remodel followed the highly publicized renovation of Ballard High School. All are great examples of the Seattle School District upgrading to stay with the times to offer students the best possible opportunities to learn.

By comparison, RB got a new Sports Complex.

What kind of message does that send to the community?

While the Sports Complex is very nice, where are the wi-fi hot spots? Where are the new computer labs? Where are (at the very least) the textbooks?

It’s long been a gripe that the N. End schools- Ballard, Roosevelt (read: well-off, white) were treated better than those on the S. End- Cleveland, RB (read: poor, minority). The vast discrepancies in services/upgrades seem to corroborate that fact. *Cleveland just did receive a remodel itself, to be fair.

N. End schools, get upgrades that prepare students for college. While S. End schools get upgrades that prepare student athletes for college sports.

Some might say, “Hey if you are being prepped for college sports, at least you are going to college.”

But, far too few students benefit scholastically from an athlete factory. RB has always had an athletically gifted student body: perennial powers in Track and Basketball, producing College-level athletes in numerous sports. But what about the kids like me, whose future (like 99% of students) doesn’t lie in College Athletics? Where are the resources for them?

The question of whether RB must be closed is moot.

What should be asked is: How did RB get to the point that it must be closed? How/why was it allowed to fail?

There are a modicum of factors that go into answering that question: Cultural nuances, changing demographics and simple finances. And I am not going to presume to have an answer.

However, it is critical to ponder those questions as to prevent a similar failure at Cleveland after merging the two.

It makes no sense to keep RB open as Cleveland was recently renovated and is simply a bigger and more up-to-date facility. The money has been spent and in times like these, stretching a dollar is the only way to go.

Will I be sad to see RB close? Yes.

Instead of (understandably) focusing on anger and spite to keep RB open, people must focus on strengthening Cleveland. To prevent the same missteps that caused RB to be shuttered.

As much as this is about a community losing one of the few positive anchors, it is more important to think about the current RB students who deserve better.

Here are some links to stories about RB:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008471680_rainier05m0.html
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008467004_schoolclosure04m.html
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008467126_webschoolclosure03m.html
*I recommend reading some of the comments. It’s interesting to see how prevalent stereotypes still are. Maybe we aren’t as far along in race relations as Obama’s election would make people think.

1-11 never sounded so good.

So I recently read an update about the-team-formerly-known-as the Seattle Supersonics. As I saw their record was 1-11, it dawned on me, I still care.

Not about the team or the season. I was just happy to see that they are so terrible.

It’s petty, but it’s how I feel. Seeing the horrible record is like hearing that an ex is dating a fat dude, sweet vindication.

See, I view the loss of the Sonics as a bad break-up where I got dumped. The Sonics have moved-on, with a new suitor who they deemed superior to me.

So I did the Sonics, the way I do ladies who’ve deemed me unworthy, I swore-off all contact. Why maintain a relationship that does lil more than remind you of what you’ve lost?

Any highlights flashed on TV prompt a change of the channel. I don’t even peek at the scores in the paper. I can’t even name their starting five.

I toyed with the idea of boycotting the NBA altogether. But that was too extreme. I love basketball too much. That’d be like swearing-off all women, just because it didn’t work-out with one.

So Go Celtics! (And secretly, Go Blazers!)

Am I happy to hear the-team-formerly-known-as the Sonics are 1-11? Hell yes.

Am I happy to hear they got booed? Yup.

Do I wish them any future success? No freakin way!

I made it to one Sonics game last season. We showed-up late and the ticket-taker was kind enough to note: “We’re down by 22, just so you know.” I only got to stick around for a quarter before my friends decided they were bored…I didn’t want to leave.

I mention the story, to illustrate a point.

Seattle loved the Sonics. I didn’t hear any boos at that game or any others. No matter how dark times got, we were in. Even though *we were down 22 points, I still wanted to be there. To support MY team.

I previously wrote that should the Sonics leave, the NBA probably wouldn’t return to Seattle. I was wrong. The NBA will return. Seattle is too big and a gateway to Asia. Meaning there is too much money to be made for a re-branded Sonics (Seattle got to keep the name) franchise to lie dormant.

So much like dating, there are other fish in the sea. I just hope that when the NBA does make its way back to town, that The Sonics will beat the crap out of the team-formerly-known-as.

*Please note, I still use ‘we’ in reference to a team that no longer exists.

It’s official.

The Seattle Supersonics are no more.

I’d like to say this loss is affecting me less than when I heard of Tim Russert’s passing, but I can’t.

That’d be a lie.

Not to belittle the memory of Russert, he was a great man and an idol to a coulda-woulda-shoulda journalist like myself. But his passing was more of an intellectual loss. I know I should feel bad in my head, but I didn’t feel the loss in my heart.

As I read the headline in today’s Seattle P-I “Hoopless” I definitely felt the loss in my heart.

Along with the Sonics goes my a bit of my childhood; watching the Sonics play in the Kingdome, trying to perfect the X-Man’s fade-away jumper (I never did, BTW) and coming of age during a golden age in the NBA and watching legends like Gary Payton feed the Rain-Man into the NBA finals.

When I think of the Sonics, I think of happy times.

Maybe it’s a good thing the team has moved away. Even if they were “forced” to play the next 2 years at the Key Arena I am sure those happy memories would be further tarnished as the less-than-hospitable relationship between the City of Seattle and Clay Bennett had two more years to make the low-light reel.

Basketball is a business, my head knows this. The Sonics are a good, which can be bought and sold…and moved, at the discretion of the owner. As a firm believer in free market economics and the right of private property I support the move.

As a fan and someone the Sonics/NBA have profited from, I feel disregarded. I feel cheated. I feel insignificant.

For something that doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things, sports seem to be a big part of American life. Sure enough, Seattleites took the luxury of having an NBA team for granted and we lost it.

But on the flip-side, where is the sense of social responsibility on the part of the Sonics?

Even if you take the fact that they are a sports franchise out of the equation, doesn’t any business, owe the community it has thrived in (especially for 40+ years) some semblance of respect? The Sonics apparently thought not.

I agree that sports bring an intangible benefit to the cities lucky enough to host them. A civic pride, a sense of unity, a rallying point. Which is now gone.

I agree with civic officials who stood their ground with regards to using public funds to refurbish/build a new arena so that the NBA/Sonics owners could make more money. I find it ridiculous that Clay Bennett and David Stern would claim the Key Arena was not up to “NBA Standards.” It’s childish to hold the team hostage and threaten to move anytime the NBA doesn’t get it’s way.

If the venue was is so bad, why doesn’t the uber-profitable NBA put-up some money to build venues that are indeed “up to their standards?”

As an avid basketball player and fan, I am now at a crossroads.

Do I turn my back and boycott based on the blatant disregard shown to the City of Seattle by the NBA?

Or do I keep watching a league I no longer have a vested interest in?

Luckily I have a few months to ponder such a deep issue.

I think it’ll take a few beers and bar conversations to get my mind right.

But for the here and now, I am in mourning.

So long Seattle Supersonics, thanks for the memories.

Sonics, OK.

Seeing as the Sonics may have played thier final game at Key Arena, I thought I'd chime-in on the topic of relocation.

In case you are out of the loop or don’t care enough to pay attention I’ll get you up to speed.

It looks like Sonics owner Clay Bennett lied to NBA Commissioner David Stern regarding his intention to move the team to Oklahoma City. The lie came to light in email correspondence between Bennett's ownership group and Stern. The emails were obtained by The City of Seattle as part of a lawsuit to force the Sonics to play-out their lease (through 2010) at Key Arena.

Local folks still holding hope of keeping the Sonics in town see this as a possible break. Stern has been one of one Bennett’s biggest backers as he (Bennett) and the City of Seattle battle lease and re-location issues out in court. Local fans hope this breech of trust will sway Stern and possibly get him to back away from supporting Bennett.

I really don’t see that happening.

There is simply too much money to be made in Oklahoma City.

The NBA has been itching to get a team back into that market since they saw the reception the New Orleans Hornets received when they played there post-Hurricane Katrina. The games were sell-outs. The Key Arena hasn’t sold-out since the Clinton Administration. There aren’t too many entertainment options in Oklahoma City and the Sonics would be the prime sporting option.

NBA basketball isn’t just a game, it’s also big business.

I’ve got to hand it to Bennett, he played the “poor old country bumpkin” role to perfection. He managed to out-wit the City of Seattle and Sonic fans. His plan to save money and re-build the roster with cheaper/younger talent is pure genius. Not only is he saving money up-front, he’s also fielding a team so bad that no one in Seattle cares anymore. If he had his way, the team would get so bad that we’d offer to buy-out the lease to get rid of the losers.

I can’t blame Bennett for lying. He’s a savvy businessman and he knows how to play the game. I am not saying its ethical, but there is a reason the man is a millionaire.

At this point, the relationship with local government is beyond repair. Both sides are so entrenched that compromise is no longer an option. I think the City of Seattle is more embarrassed with being out-maneuvered by this ‘Yokel’ from Oklahoma, which has led to the steadfast refusal to listen to anything that comes to the table.

Trust is important when doing business and Bennett’s intentions have been suspect from the start. I don’t see how the City of Seattle could enter, in good faith, any negotiations with Bennett after he lied to the City and Stern: who was his most important ally.

Bennett has seemingly had one foot out of the door since he bought the team. How can the city enter into any agreements with a man who has clearly lied to everyone from the start?

I am a Sonics fan. I remember the Wheedle, Xavier McDaniel and the great run in the 90’s. I loved Nate McMillan’s last year as head coach. I really do not want to see the Sonics go.

But at this point I am just tired of hearing about this soap opera. I am a sports fan. I don’t care about back room deals, arena funding or the business side of basketball.

I just want a local team to root for.

Maybe life in post-Sonics Seattle won’t be too bad…I hope to never find out.

Portland, oh Portland...

So here I am on the train. Headed to Portland.

Some would call it Seattle’s sister city…

I am not one of those people.

Sure, it rains a lot in Portland. And sure, it’s not unheard of to see Birkenstocks and socks or parkas and cargo shorts.

It, like Seattle, is a bastion of Blue in an otherwise Red state.

But outward appearances aside, there are some pretty big differences between the towns.

I haven’t quite put my finger on it, but something is just a bit off in the Rose City.

I was recently counting the few perks Portland has going for it with a buddy who now lives down there. (Listed in order of importance, #1 being the most important.)

1) Bars. Portland is a drinking man’s town. I love the place. My Portland buddy calls it Disneyland for adults, due to its multiple and plentiful watering holes. And for those who still kill themselves, Oregon is NOT smoke-free.

2) Wings. Fire on the Mountain. If you’ve never been to this seemingly hole-in-the-wall joint in No. Po., you are missing out. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 sauces and DEEP-FRIED TWINKIES. (I couldn’t finish the twinkie, though I really wanted to.)

3) Strip Clubs. Somewhere I heard that Portland has the most strip clubs per capita than any where else in the country. And Washingtonians, you can drink in them! I will say most are pretty seedy, but then again they are freaking Strip Clubs. What else would you expect them to be?! One other note, you can order food in them, which is one of the things I find to be a little off about the town. I must admit, I was intrigued by the phenomena on previous trips to Portland. And only recently crossed the streams. And I gotta admit, for something that sounds so good on paper, steak and titties just ain’t right. Maybe it’s just me, but if I want a cheeseburger I want a cheeseburger. I can’t be distracted by naked women prancing around. But on the flip side, if there are naked women prancing around, the cheeseburger can damn-hell-ass wait until later. It’s quite the conundrum.

4) No Tax. This was so cool when I was a youngster. I remember taking weekend trips to Portland to do school shopping or to buy my Sega Gamegear (yes, people bought those things…though it seems like I was the only one who did). It made for some fun trips, but once gas is factored in, not so much on the actual savings.

5) Public Transit. Portland does have a better transit and existing light rail/street car lines. Both of which I have used, find pretty simple and don’t break down. Seattle is way behind the 8-ball on that one.

So there, Portland does have some cool qualities to it.

Though you’d have to be in your mid-20’s or at least act like you are still in your mid-20’s (most Portlanders) to find these reasons valid.

“Portland is a land where people move to become jackasses,” a quote from my recent Portland-transplant buddy.

And I agree.

That is where my problem lies with Portland, a smugness/air of superiority that looms over the city like a big wet blanket. A staunch refusal to admit, that maybe, just maybe, Portland isn’t the best place on Earth.

The war? That’s G.W.’s fault. Portland knew better.

The environment? We watched Al Gore’s movie on TV's powered by wind, drive hybrids and ride bikes…We aren’t the problem.

Music? “Oh, you’ve heard of them? We saw them play here in Portland like three years ago.”

You get the idea.

It’s like all of the kids who wanted to be cool in high school, but couldn’t quite make it happen, somehow found each other and started a town. (I am willing to bet that the average Portlander hated high school for just that reason, “Everyone was so uncool.”)

There is a holier-than-thou aspect to the average Portlander that just grinds my gears. I could go on for awhile, but I figure you have work to do so I’ll cut it short.

However, if you like beer, enjoy naked ladies, want some tasty wings, hate paying taxes and were cooler than everyone else at your High School, (but they just didn’t know it) head on down to Portland.

Oh yeah, you better like PBR, black-rimmed glasses and Democrats as well…

Portland is pretty open-minded, as long as you agree with everyone else.